Report: Apple secretly courted filmmakers at indie film festival

Apple has been quietly conscripting independent filmmakers in a series of stealthy meetings, according to a fresh report.

It’s long been suspected that Apple is looking into creating its own original TV content after butting heads with existing content providers over its half-baked Apple TV service. In fact, the company itself has confirmed that its first original effort will be a TV show about app developers.

But Apple’s ambitions appear to go well beyond that, if a recent report is anything to go by.

According to Fast Company, Apple set up a base at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Unlike rival Samsung, however, Apple didn’t advertise its presence at all. There were no press releases, no party pictures, and no swag in the iTunes Lounge, as it was known.

Setting up shop at The Imperial Hotel, Apple reportedly hosted a series of private invitation-only events, where they wined and dined a number of independent filmmakers.

The report says that this iTunes Lounge initiative was a part of Apple’s stealthy effort to become more active in delivering entertainment. It also claims that Apple followed up its secret Sundance Film Festival presence by taking pitches for original TV series in Los Angeles.

Apple seems to want to attract “triple A-list” talent to produce shows that will be offered in an “Exclusives” app for Apple TV and within iTunes.

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